Established as a registered charity in 2001, the Suffolk Owl Sanctuary is based at Stonham Aspal in Suffolk, where it operates a comprehensive facility for the care & rehabilitation of owls and other birds of prey.

The Raptor Hospital at S.O.S. is fully equipped for the care and treatment of injured, mal-nourished, orphaned or otherwise traumatised wild birds that are brought into the Sanctuary every year.

Many can be given food and a recuperative overnight pick-me-up before being released back to their natural habitat. Birds that are more seriously injured but stand a good chance of mid- to long-term recovery are given medical aid & sometimes surgery, and then provided with the space & time to fully recuperate in one of our secluded recovery aviaries before being returned to the wild, fit and flying free. Regrettably, injured birds that are brought into S.O.S. so seriously injured, poisoned or diseased that they are professionally judged to be beyond the pale with no hope of a meaningful quality of life, are euthanised by our vet.

One of the most important spheres of operation for the Sanctuary is the East Anglia Nest Box Scheme which we run in conjunction with volunteers from the Thornham Owl Project. This includes the time-consuming search for suitable locations for man-made nest boxes, the availability of proper habitat and sufficient natural prey species being the chief determining factors; the building and secure erection of nest boxes made from safe, long-lasting, environmentally friendly materials; and the careful monitoring of nesting activity within the boxes that form part of the network on an annual basis. Our records of breeding activity are fed into national census kept by the Barn Owl Trust and the BTO (British Trust for Ornithology).

Giving talks and setting projects for schools, agricultural colleges and disenfranchised groups who either visit the Sanctuary or to whom we out-reach, is the focus of our Education Team and the Wise Owl Roadshow for Schools. We also consult with landowners and farmers with advice for those interested in developing suitable habitat or nesting locations for owls in the wild.

Our Information & Advice Centre is open every day of the year except at Christmas. Demonstrations and talks featuring raptors in free flight are given with commentaries which inform visitors about their lifestyles, habitats and conservation,

Extending the reach of information and advice about owls beyond the confines of the Sanctuary is covered through the publication of various freely-available leaflets and newsletters on specific and general related topics. In recent years our website coupled with our social media reach and profile enables us to offer qualified response to questions about the care & conservation about owls and other birds of prey from around the world.

Suffolk Owl Sanctuary is funded solely by public donation and as the beneficiaries of legacies and bequests which are essential to the successful ongoing operation of this unique facility.

The Suffolk Owl Sanctuary

Telephone: 03456 807 897

Website: http://www.owl-help.org.uk